D-Day for Mukhadram
The three-year-old is the most inexperienced runner in the 35-strong field and while that will be a new experience, he will at least see one friendly face in his stable companion Fury, who has to carry top weight.
“Mukhadram is lightly-raced and has a bit to do as he’s so inexperienced, but he’s a very nice horse,” said Haggas.
“It wasn’t the plan at the start of the year when he ran in the Wood Ditton to aim for this, but after he ran at the July meeting I asked Angus Gold (owner’s racing manager) if I could give him a break to develop and train him for this and he agreed.
“The trouble with these races these days is you’ve got be be high enough up the handicap to get in, but you don’t want to go up too high when you can’t win as they are so competitive. I’m hopeful.
“Fury has held his form very well this season. We’ve been running him in small field conditions races and I’m not sure they suit him – what he wants is a really fast pace and a strong gallop and he should get that in a Cambridgeshire.
“Whether carrying 9st 10lb is his bag I’m not so sure. Nine furlongs should be fine for him, though.”
Last year’s winner Prince Of Johanne is back again off a 13lb higher mark for Tadcaster trainer Tom Tate.
He added the Royal Hunt Cup to his roll of honour in June to prove his durability.
“We think he’s got a good chance because we’re running him and he certainly rises to the big tracks,” said Tate.
“He’s been fine since York. He’s just run on a couple of tracks that don’t play to his strengths and let’s hope that at Newmarket he will raise his game again.
“John Fahy has done a great job on him and worked out the best way to ride him. But it’s a hard world, he’s not got a claim anymore and this horse is high up the handicap so we’ve got Brendan Powell jnr who is very accomplished, everybody tells me, and he came and sat on the horse on Monday.”
George Margarson is unsure Excellent Guest will stay nine furlongs.
The Newmarket trainer still feels a chance is worth taking on a horse who was second in the Hunt Cup behind Prince Of Johanne.
“We’re taking a bold gamble that he’ll get the trip,” said Margarson.
